diff --git a/conf/type/__group/explorer/gshadow b/conf/type/__group/explorer/gshadow
index 51d502a1..e3c2dd6c 100755
--- a/conf/type/__group/explorer/gshadow
+++ b/conf/type/__group/explorer/gshadow
@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@
 #
 
 name=$__object_id
+os_version="$($__explorer/os_version)"
 
-getent gshadow "$name" || true
+case "$os_version" in
+   "Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release "[45]*|"CentOS release "[45]*)
+      # TODO: find a way to get this information
+      echo "$os_version does not have getent gshadow"
+   ;;
+   *)
+      getent gshadow "$name" || true
+   ;;
+esac
 
diff --git a/conf/type/__group/gencode-remote b/conf/type/__group/gencode-remote
index cf26a437..2b4774ab 100755
--- a/conf/type/__group/gencode-remote
+++ b/conf/type/__group/gencode-remote
@@ -23,23 +23,36 @@
 #
 
 name="$__object_id"
+os_version="$(cat "$__global/explorer/os_version")"
 
 cd "$__object/parameter"
 if grep -q "^${name}:" "$__object/explorer/group"; then
    for property in $(ls .); do
       new_value="$(cat "$property")"
+      # argument to pass the groupmod command for this property (exceptions
+      # are made in the case statement below)
+      proparg="--$property"
 
       case "$property" in
          password)
             current_value="$(awk -F: '{ print $2 }' < "$__object/explorer/gshadow")"
+            case "$os_version" in
+               "Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release "[45]*|"CentOS release "[45]*)
+                  # TODO: Use gpasswd?  Need to fix gshadow explorer first.
+                  echo "group/$name: '$os_version' groupmod does not support password modification" >&2
+                  exit 1
+               ;;
+            esac
          ;;
          gid)
+            # set to -g to support older redhat/centos
+            proparg="-g"
             current_value="$(awk -F: '{ print $3 }' < "$__object/explorer/group")"
          ;;
       esac
 
       if [ "$new_value" != "$current_value" ]; then
-         set -- "$@" "--$property" \"$new_value\"
+         set -- "$@" "$proparg" \"$new_value\"
       fi
    done